Don’t scuff over Sen. Henry M. Jackson.
Take a moment to wipe leaves off former Everett Mayor Roland Hill Hartley.
Tip a hat to arts patron Dorothy Jayne Wright.
If Elwin Anderson of Everett has his way, folks like these will have plaques about themselves imbedded along Hewitt Avenue in a North Everett Lions Walk of Fame.
You know, like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, except without movie or TV stars.
Anderson, 89, an Everett native, is director of the North Everett Lions. He researched similar projects and decided Everett would be a perfect place for the sidewalk plaques.
“I’ve been thinking about and planning for a walk of fame for years,” Anderson said. “The Lions Club would administer the program and promote it within the community.”
Don’t take his ideas lightly. Anderson envisioned a monument in Lowell noting the names of neighborhood men and women who died serving their country.
It got built.
Carol Thomas, Cultural Arts Manager for the city of Everett, said they are looking at the walk of fame idea.
Here’s how the plaque plan would work: Folks would submit names they would like to see in the sidewalk. Recipients can be dead or alive. A committee would select who gets a square. Then the submitter would pay $2,500 for the privilege of having their person’s legacy engraved in marble.
The city of Everett would pay to install the plaque.
For instance, let’s say President Barack Obama wanted to honor his great-great-great grandmother, Rachel Wolfley, with a plaque and is willing to chip in a $2,500 donation. Wolfley lived, and is buried, in Everett.
That is an opening amount and could change, Anderson said.
Obama submits Wolfley’s name to the judges and if they determine she meets criteria, the family could work with a marble company to make the plaque. The committee is looking for folks or even groups who have made significant contributions to Everett’s heritage, were born here or spent most of their lives here.
There would be installation ceremonies four times a year. The black granite plaques would be 24 by 18 inches and made by Pacific Coast Memorials Inc. of Everett.
“Our club will be tasked with administering the program and promoting it to encourage tourism and local residents to walk in uptown Everett,” Anderson said. “As founder, I hope to be handling the nominations for the club and passing them on to the citywide Hall of Fame committee.”
The mock-up plaque for Henry Hewitt Jr., who bought property in early Everett and named streets such as Broadway and Rucker, includes four paragraphs of information. Walkers would need to take a couple of minutes to read about Hewitt.
And if the person has a special connection to a particular street in town, they can consider putting a plaque in that area. And businesses and folks would be able to make donations to the Lions that can be combined to honor a recipient who has no family or friends to come forward. A business could apply to get someone special in front of its store.
Speaking of famous people, Anderson comes to mind. He is my favorite man about town and makes my day whenever I hear his perpetual giggle. I’ve written about him for two decades, including his World War II exploits, his love and success racing pigeons, and his support of baseball and football.
Chris Wright, president of the Lions, is impressed with the devotion Anderson shows to his community and understanding of local history.
“When he talks about projects like this walk of fame, his eyes sparkle with enthusiasm as he starts to recite a long list of potential candidates,” Wright said. “Elwin’s vision is for the plaques to convey well-known facts about community members, but to also include little-known ones that will add interest.”
Wright said the walk of fame would fit nicely with downtown revitalization, educate folks about history and celebrate Everett’s outstanding citizens.
“Plaques can be placed into the sidewalk without any inconvenience to pedestrians or businesses,” Anderson said. “They can be walked over nearly forever without wearing out the lettering.”
Would Elwin Anderson like a well-deserved plaque about himself?
He giggled.
Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451, oharran@heraldnet.com.
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